Collection of suspended particles



May 4, 1954 c. w. J. HEDBERG CLLECTION OF' SUSPENDED PARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 20. 1952 mmjoou mam mUddDh.

INVENTOR CARL w J. HEDBERG ATTORNEY May 4, 1954 c w, J. HEDBERG 2,677,439

COLLECTION oF SUSPENDED PARTICLES Filed Nov. 2o, 1952 2 sheets-sheet 2 T n' .15% `t 21.15; I l r qu f'?) PIJN-1. :i7: i

0 INVENTOR l CARL WJ. HEDBERG BY /v/M ATTORNEY Patented May 4, 1954 COLLECTION OF SUSPENDED PARTICLES Carl W. J. Hedberg, Hound Brook, N. J., assignor to Research Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application N ovembcr 20, i952, Serial No. 321,571

9 Claims. (Cl. 18E-120) This invention relates to the collection of Waterminsoiuble solid particles suspended in the hot gaseous products of industrial processes.

A principal object of the invention is to provide gas stream through a wet collecting Zone and separating a major portion of the residual suspended particles therein in contact with water and in jecting an aqueous slurry of the water-insoluble 9v DFCCGSS and alllfiriuS OI the ecent remOVal 5 particles collected in the wet collecting Zone into of suspended water-insoluble material from hot thev hot gases in the cooling zone under ash-dryindustrial gases. ing conditions whereby the liquid portion of the n. further object of the invention is to provide slurry is substantially vaporized and the solid a process and apparatus which will substantially content thereof is substantially resuspended in completely eleminate suspended Water-insoluble 10 the cooled gas stream. material from hot industrial gases and dispose of Preferably, the slurry obtained from the wet water used in cooling and Washing such gases. collecting zone is subjected to gravity concentra- Another object of the invention is the substantion to provide a concentrated fraction that is tial elimination of both atmospheric and stream passed to the cooling zone and a dilute fraction contamination by water-insoluble material sus- 16 that may be recirculated to the Wet collecting pended hot gases produced in industrial proczone to be utilized in the collection of additional esses. suspended particles. Preferably, also, the con- !-i particular object oi the invention is to procentrated fraction of slurry that is passed to the vide a process and apparatus for the efficient re cooling Zone is treated with a dispersing or Wetmoval of carbon black from gases formed by the 20 ting agent to improve the dispersion of the sus- 'thermal decomposition and partial combustion of pended particles in the liquid. natural gas or other fluid hydrocarbons. The invention may be embodied in apparatus another object is to provide a process and apfor collecting water-insoluble particles entrained paratus for collecting and reworking carbon black in a stream of hot gases which comprises a coolthat ordinarily escapes from the dry collectors ing chamber, a collecting device for separating employed in carbon black plants. entrained solid particles in a dry condition from Another object is to provide a process and apa stream of gases passed therethrough, a collectparatus for recovering carbon black in a nely ing device for separating entrained solid particles divided dryT state at high efciency and in a conin the form of an aqueous slurry from a stream dition finding ready acceptance in the market. of gases passed therethrough, means for con- Another object is to provide a process and apducting a stream of hot furnace gases successiven paratus for eliminating the objectionable smoke 1y through said cooling chamber and collecting and soot deposits commonly associated with oardevices, conduit means for conducting an aqueous non bla-cl;-` plants. slurry of solid particles from the Wet collecting another object is to provide a process and ap- 35 device to the cooling chamber, and means for inparatus for this purpose that includes the necesjecting the aqueous slurry of solid particles into sary steps or components for complete disposal hot gases in the cooling chamber. of all carbon contaminated water produced in op- The cooler preferably takes the form of a spray eration. chamber but may include in addition auxiliary Still another object is to provide a process and radiant cooling devices such as extended lengths apparatus for removing carbon black from the of metal flue through which the gas stream is gases leaving the dry collectors of a carbon black passed. plant by means of wet collectors and introducing The dry collecting device may include an electhe carbon-liquid slurry from the wet collectors, trical precipitator, wherein the entrained solid preierably after concentration, into the stream of particles are agglomerated and in part collected, plant gases at a location Where sufficient heat is and one or more centrifugal separators of the cyavailable to evaporate the liquid and leave the clone type for the collection of the bulk of the carbon black suspended in the gas stream. agglomerated particles.

The method of the invention comprises passing The wet collecting device preferably includes a a stream of hot gases containing solid Water-inscrubber and a wet electrical precipitator arsoluble particles suspended therein through a ranged in series. cooling zone, passing the gases from the cooling For the purpose of concentrating the aqueous zonethroughadry collecting zone and separating slurry of solid particles obtained from the wet a substantial section of the suspended particles collecting device, the usual classifier or thickener therein in a dry condition, thereafter passing the may be employed.

The invention will be set forth with greater particularity in the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a carbon black plant including the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a plant for cleaning blast furnace gases embodying the principles of the invention.

In Fig. l, the carbon black plant shown includes a carbon black furnace a cooler 2, a dry electrical precipitator il, a parallel arrangement of primary cyclone separators and 4a, a similar arrangement of secondary cyclone separators 5 and 5a, and an exhaust fan t. This much of the combination of equipment is known in the art of manufacturing carbon black, but, as will be shown, the efficiency of collection of carbon black in such a plant is not as high as desirable and a portion of the carbon black, mostly in the form of fine rloc, escapes from the cyclone collectors, the amount so escaping being large enough to cause an objectionable deposit of carbon in the surrounding area and a signincant economic loss. lt will be understood that, in the prior art plant, the exhaust fan 5 is connected to a suitable stack through which the waste gases are disposed of to the atmosphere.

In the known plant, the combustion gases bearing suspended carbon black pass through the conduit l to the cooler at a temperature of about 2,006Q F. to 2500" F. In the cooler, Water is sprayed directly mt@ the stream of hot gases to reduce the temperature thereof to about 300 to 600 F. The cooling is effected by evaporation of the water spray and the supply of water to the cooler is controlled so as to obtain practically complete evaporation of same.

The cooled gases new from the cooler through the conduit S to the dry electrical precipitator 3 in which the gases are passed through high tension electric fields and subjected to ionizing discharge between the customaryT complementary discharge and extended surface electrodes of the precipitator. Some of the carbon black entrained in the cooled gas stream is precipitated and collected in the electrical precipitator 3, but the bulli of the particles are agglomerated and retained in suspension in the gas st earn from which they are separated in continuous process in cyclone separators. Agglomeration of the carbon black particles facilitates such collection.

Gases leave the precipitator t at a temperature of from about 275 F. to 550 F. and pass through the conduits 9, sa to the primary cyclone separators Il, la in which a large part of the entrained agglomerated carbon black is separated from the gas stream and continuously transported to the packing house.

From the primary cyclones, the gases pass by way of conduits l0, lea to the secondary cyclones 5, Ea in which an increment of entrained carbon black is separated1 from the gas stream in the dry state.

The gases then now through the conduits Il, lia to the exhaust fan 6 and are pumped to the fan outlet i2. The temperature of the gases leaving the fan may range from about 250 F. to 500 F. and, in the known plant, such gases are exhausted to atmosphere through a suitable stack. They carry a substantial amount of carbon black that has escaped separation in the dry precipitator and cyclone separator assembly, which carbon black has heretofore `polluted the surrounding atmosphere.

In order to prevent such loss, I subject th gases from the exhaust fan 6 to a supplemental wet cleaning operation before venting the gases to the atmosphere.

For this purpose, I provide a unitary combine-:l scrubber and wet electrical precipitator I3 to which the fan outlet conduit i2 is connected to lead the gases first through the scrubber and then through the wet electrical precipitator. The scrubber and wet precipiator combination may be of the type shown in United States Patent 2,273,- 194, Hedberg et al., or of similar construction.

In the combined wet cleaner, the scrubber is immediately followed by a precipitator equipped with water sprays which are operated continu-- ously or intermittently to wash on" any black that may deposit on the electrodes. IThe scrubber and wet precipitator combination possesses characteristics peculiarly adapted for present purposes. The scrubber section removes most of the agglomerated black which was not separated in the cyclone separators, which agglomerated portion constitutes the bull: of the escaping black. There remains a relatively small amount of unagglornerated black which cannot be removed in the scrubber but which is precipitated in the precipitator section and deposits on the electrodes. Because of the very low density of the deposited black and because it is not 1eadily wetted, only a ver] thin deposit of black can be retained on the electrodes. If the deposit becomes too heavy, portions are eroded from the surface by the gas stream and again escape as aggloinerates or they are broken up and float away with the gas when it is attempted to wash them from the electrodes by a water stream. By removing the major portion of the black before the precipitator section, the scrubber maires it possible to utilize a precipitator for collection of that small residue on which the scrubber is not effective.

Cleaned gases from 'the scruhber-precipitator are drawn by an exhaust fan I4 through a ccnduit I5. rIhe exit gases are at the relatively low temperature of about F. to 200 F. and are substantially saturated with water Vapor and substantially free from carbon black. They are blown to the stack I6 through a pipe il and thence to atmosphere.

rlhe stack may be provided with means for reheating the gases before they are exhausted to atmosphere in order to increase the degree of water unsaturation thereof and thus prevent prooipitation of rain in the vicinity of the stack. Such reheating means may take the form of a simple furnace at the base of the stack exhausting nue gases into the stack which mingle with and raise the temperature of the cleaned gases from the scrubber-precipitator.

In the scrubber-precipitator, the carbon black is collected in the form of a Water slurry, and, as such, is not a salable item. It must be dried and reduced to appropriate neness in order to have commercial Value.

I have found that the slurry of carbon black can be refined for use by returning the slurry to the hot furnace gases at a suitable point, preferably before or in the dry collection sY stem, and there spraying it into the hot gas stream to evaporate the water and resuspend the carbon black the gas stream in a fine condition While at the same time cooling the gas stream to the desired temperature. Preferably, the slurry of carbon black is concentrated and treated with a dispersing agent to increase the settling time of the carbon black and, thereafter is sprayed into the cooler 2. The amount of water in the slurry may be adjusted to provide all the water required for cooling the gas or, if additional water is needed for cooling, it may be added to the slurry or separately sprayed into the cooler. Preferably, the amoiuit of water in the slurry is adjusted so that all of the contaminated waste water from the scrubber-precipitator will be disposed of in this manner and without requiring separate water disposal means.

In returning the wet carbon black to the system, the wash waters from the scrubber and precipitater sections containing carbon black in suspension preferably are combined in a sump of the unit i3 and are caused to flow through the pipe line l to a settling tank or hydraulic classifier I9 in which the waters are separated into two fractions. One fraction, usually that taken off at the bottom of the classifier, contains most of the suspended carbon black and the other fraction is substantially clear or free from carbon black.

rlhe clear effluent from the settling tank preferably is returned to the scrubber-precipitator i3 through a pipe 2S to be used as feed water for the scrubber-precipitator. Makeup water may be added as necessary from the main 2l through a connection 22.

Concentrated slurry is run through the pipe E3 to a mixing tank 2t provided with a conventional agitator. In the mixing tank, a small amount of a dispersing agent is added to the slurry through the pipe 25 to prevent settling` of the carbon black. Any of the common dispersagents are effective but I prefer to employ a product known as Daxad 11 (sodium salt of alkylnaphthalene sulfuric acid) supplied by Dewey and Almy Chemical Co. of Cambridge, Massachusetts Other dispersing agents such as Turkey red oil or the like may also be used. The concentration of the slurry in the mixing tank is widely variable and may range from about 206 grains of carbon black per gallon of slurry to several thousand grains per gallon. Small amounts of dispersing agent of the ,order of 0.025% to 0.050% on the basis of the carbon black in the slurry may be employed successfully.

From the mixing tank, the slurry is pumped through a pipe 26 to spray devices in the cooler. The slurry may be diluted if desired by water conducted from the main 2l through a branch pipe 2l.

in practice, the carbon black slurry may be sprayed or injected into the stream of hot gases at any suitable point from the point of production of the carbon black to the point of iinal dry collection so long as the gases contain sufficient heat to vaporize substantially all of the liquid of the slurry without cooling the gases below the dew point until they have passed beyond the dry collectors. The carbon black slurry may also be sprayed into a portion of the stream of hot gases diverted through a separate spray drying chamber. If a separate chamber is employed, the cooled gases are then returned to the cooled gases of the known plant before the precipitator; and any black which may have separated in the separate spray chamber is returned to the main stream of product black. It is also possible to flash-dry the carbon black slurry in an independent flash-drying apparatus and to collect the carbcn black from the hash-drier gases separately from the principal collection system or in admixture with the primary carbon black in the principal collection system.

The action of the hot gases in the cooler is to dash-dry the slurry and re-entrain the carbon black particles in the stream of hot gases. The re-entrained carbon black particles are mixed in the gas stream with primary carbon black particles from the furnace and are collected in the system as hereinbefore described.

In the apparatus of Fig. 2, 3l is a blast furnace, 32 is a spray-drying and cooling tower, 33 is a dry electrostatic precipitator, 34 is a dry collector of the cyclone type, 35 is a wet scrubber tower, such as the scrubber shown in U. S. Patent 2,203,592, and 36 is a wet-type electrostatic precipitator. 3l is an auxiliary spray-drying tower.

l-Iot gases from furnace 3l containing suspended soluble water-insoluble particles, typically having a high content of metal values, such as oxides of iron, are drawn through the collecting and purifying system by means of fan 38. The

i gases are cooled and partially humidified in cooling tower 32 by the flash evaporation of the water content of the aqueous slurry sprayed into the tower through sprays 39. The partially cooled and humidied gases are then passed through the dry electrostatic precipitator 33 wherein a substantial portion of the solid particles are precipitated and deposited in the hopper 33 of the precipitator. A further portion of the suspended material, particularly material which has been agglomerated in passing through precipitator 33, is then collected in cyclone collector 34. The gases containing residual suspended particles are then washed with water in scrubber 35 and given a nal cleaning in wet precipitator 36. From precipitator 36 the gases pass through fan 38 to a stack, not shown, or to utilization, for example, in gas engines or in blast heating stoves.

Water is supplied to the scrubber and wet precipitator from main d0, which also provides water to sprays il of cooling tower 32 when the water content of the slurry from the scrubber and wet precipitator is insuicient. The slurry from the scrubber and Wet precipitator is pumped to sprays 39 of cooling tower 32 by pump 42. 'Ihe slurry from the scrubber or the wet precipitator or both may be thickened and the Water portion from the thickener recirculated to the scrubber or wet precipitator as in the system of Fig. 1.

When the heat content of the gases coming from furnace 3| is insufiicient to evaporate all of the water content of the slurry produced by the scrubber and wet precipitator, a portion of gas from any desired point in the system, or a stream of air or inert gas, is heated in auxiliary furnace d3 and passed through auxiliary tower 3l, to which the excess slurry is supplied through sprays ed.

It is advantageous to supply a portion of the hot gases from the furnace to the bottom of the spray drier 32 through conduit d to eliminate the possibility of water or slurry accumulating in the bottom of the drier. Similar provision is made in spray drier 3l by means of pipe 46.

It will be seen that the system of the invention not only results in substantially complete recovery of the solids suspended in the furnace gases thereby eliminating atmospheric pollution but also eliminates stream pollution by evaporating into the gases all of the water used in the final cleaning steps, and thereby provides that all of the solid material removed from the gases is obtained in dry, readily usable or disposable form.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 2,312 filed January 14, 1948, now abandoned.

I claim:

1. The method of collecting suspended solid water-insoluble particles from hot gases which comprises passing the hot gases through a cooling zone, passing the gases from the cooling zone through a dry collecting Zone and separating a substantial portion of the suspended particles therein in dry condition, thereafter passing the gas stream through a wet collecting zone and separating a major portion of the residual suspended particles therein in contact with water, and injecting an aqueous slurry of the water insoluble particles collected in the wet collecting zone into the hot gases in the cooling zone under ilashfdrying conditions whereby the liquid portion of the slurry is substantially Vaporized and the solid content thereof is resuspended in the cooled gas stream.

2. The method of collecting suspended solid water-insoluble particles from hot gases which comprises passing the hot gases through a cooling zone wherein the gases are cooled by the injection of water in amount insufficient to saturate the gases, passing the gases from the cooling zone through a dry collecting zone and separating a substantial portion of the suspended particles therein in dry condition, thereafter passing the gas stream through a wet collecting zone and separating a major portion of the residual suspended particles therein contact with water, and injecting an aqueous slurry of the water insoluble particles collected in the wet collecting zone into the hot gases in the cooling Zone under dash-drying conditions whereby the liquid portion of the slurry is substantially vaporised and the solid content thereof is resuspended in the cooled gas stream.

3. The method of collecting suspended solid water-insoluble particles from hot gases which comprises passing the hot gases through a cooling son@ wherein the gases are cooled by the injection of water in amount insufficient to saturate the gases, passing the gases from the cooling zone through a dry collecting zone and separat-- ing a substantial portion of the suspended particles therein in dry condition while maintaining the gas stream at a temperature above the dew point thereof, thereafter passing the gas stream through a wet collecting zone and separating a major portion of the residual suspended particles therein in contact with water, and injecting an aqueous slurry of the water insoluble particles collected in the wet collecting zone into the hot gases in the cooling Zone under dash-.drying conditions whereby the liquid portion of the slurry is substantially vaporized and the solid content thereof is resuspended in the cooled gas stream.

4. A method of collecting carbon black par-- ticles entrained in a stream of hot gases from a carbon black furnace which comprises passing said stream of hot gases through a cooling zone, passing the gases from the cooling zone through a dry collecting zone and separating a substan tial portion of entrained carbon blaclf` therein in a dry condition, thereafter passing the gas stream through a wet collecting zong and separating a major portion of the residual entrained carbon black therein in contact with water, and injecting n an aqueous slurry of the carbon black collected in the wet collecting zone into the hot furnace gases in said cooling zone under flash-drying conditions, whereby the liquid portion of the slurry is substantially vaporized and the carbon black content thereof is substantially re-entrained in the cooled gas stream.

5. A method of collecting carbon black particles entrained in a stream of hot gases from a carbon black furnace which comprises passing said stream of hot gases through a cooling zone wherein the gases are cooled by the injection of water in amount insufficient to saturate the gases, passing the gases from the cooling zone through a dry collecting zone and separating a substantial portion of entrained carbon black therein in a dry condition, thereafter passing the gas stream through a wet collecting zone and separating a major portion of the residual entrained carbon black therein in contact with water, and injecting an aqueous slurry of the carbon black collected in the wet collecting zone into the hot furnace gases in said cooling zone under flash-drying conditions, whereby the liquid portion of the slurry is substantially vaporized and the carbon black content thereof is substantially re-entrained in the cooled gas stream.

6. A method of collecting carbon black particles entrained in a stream of hot gases from a carbon black furnace which comprises passing said stream of hot gases through a cooling zone wherein the gases are cooled by the injection of water in amount insufficient to saturate the gases, passing the gases from the cooling zone through a dry collecting zone and separating a substantial portion of entrained carbon black therein in a dry condition while maintaining gas stream at a temperature above the dew point thereof, thereafter passing the gas stream through a wet collecting zone and separating a major portion of the residual entrained carbon black therein in contactl with water, and injecting an aqueous slurry of the carbon black collected in the wet collecting zone into the hot furnace gases in said cooling Zone under flash-drying conditions, whereby the liquid portion of the slurry is substantially vaporized and the carbon black content thereof is substantially re-entrained in the cooled gas stream.

i'. A method of collecting carbon black pare ticles entrained in a stream of hot gases from a carbon black furnace which comprises passing said stream of hot gases through a cooling zone, passing the gases from the cooling zone through a dry collecting zone and separating a substan tial portion of entrained carbon black 'therein in a dry condition, thereafter passing the gas stream through a wet collecting zone and separating a major portion of the residual entrained carbon black therein in contact with water to forni an aqueous slurry of carbon black, concentrating said aqueous slurry, and spraying the concenu trated slurry into the hot furnace gases in said cooling zone under dash-drying conditions, whereby the liquid portion of the slurry is substantialiy yaporized and the carbon black content thereof is substantially ren-entrained in the cooled gas stream.

8. A method of collecting carbon black particles entrained in a stream of hot gases from a carbon black furnace which comprises passing said stream of hot gases through a cooling zone, passing the gases from the cooling zone through a dry collecting zone and separating a substantial portion of entrained carbon black therein in a dry condition, thereafter passing the gas stream through a wet collecting zone and separating a major portion of the residual entrained carbon blacl; therein in contact with Water to form an aqueous slurry of carbon black, concentrating said aqueous slurry, adding a small amount of a dispersing agent to the concentrated slurry, and spraying the dispersed slurry into the hot furnace gases in said cooling zone under Hash-drying conditions, whereby the liquid portion of the slurry is substantially vaporized and the carbon black content thereof is substantially re-entrained in the cooled gas stream.

9. The process of recovering carbon black from the hot effluent gases of a carbon black furnace comprising the steps of conducting the hot blackladen gases to a cooling zone, spraying them with an aqueous slurry of carbon black thereby vaporizing the Water constituent of the slurry and reducing the temperature of the hot gases, sepa- 15 rating a major portion of the suspended carbon from the cooled gases in dry nely divided form, washing the gases having residual carbon suspended therein with an aqueous liquid thereby removing residual carbon from said gases, forming an aqueous slurry with said residual carbon and said liquid, and spraying this slurry into the hot gases in the said cooling zone.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 866,706 Zellweger Sept. 24, 1907 1,799,084 Brdar Mar. 31, 1931 1,801,436 Lewis Apr. 21, 1931 2,273,194 Hedberg et al Feb. 17, 1942 2,368,828 Hanson et al. Feb. 6, 1945 

